Board of Directors

Photo Credit: Palm Beach County ERM

Richard Walesky

Richard Walesky graduated Cornell University with a BA in Biology and obtained a MS in Wetlands Ecology from Florida Atlantic University in 1976. Since then he has put that knowledge to use on behalf of Florida’s marine resources in myriad ways: as a professor, state environmental regulator, senior scientist analyzing and implementing biological and water quality data, and environmental manager.

Walesky recently retired as director, Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management where he oversaw a staff of more than 165 employees and interns with an operating budget of $50 million. He also managed a capital improvement budget of $75 million to restore, enhance and maintain the land and water resources of Palm Beach County. Programs under his direction with ERM include: shoreline restoration (beaches, dunes, artificial reefs, marine turtles, and sand transfer plants); environmental restoration and enhancement (mangrove, seagrass, oyster habitat and water quality) and freshwater restoration within the coastal Chain of Lakes. He was given several prestigious awards for innovation and science during his ERM service.

“We live in a very special corner of the world and it’s our obligation to future generations to be good stewards of what we enjoy today.” – Rich Walesky

Walesky is eager to use his deep knowledge and experience of Palm Beach County’s varied environmental resources to support the goals of Sustainable PBC. “We live in a very special corner of the world and it’s our obligation to future generations to be good stewards of what we enjoy today.”